ML20031A576

Discusses Recent Notification of 810730 Unmonitored Release of Radioactive Water at Monticello & Similar Occurrences at Millstone & Tsuruga.Blanket NRC Requirement for Storm Drain Monitoring Appears Unwarranted.Lers Will Be Reviewed

ML20031A576
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone, Monticello
Issue date:	08/28/1981
From:	Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Bradford P NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20031A577	List: ML20031A576 ML20031A579
References
NUDOCS 8109240086
Download: ML20031A576 (5)

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MEMORANDitt FOR: Connissioner Bradford

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Willian J. Lircks, Executive Director for Operations

SUBJECT:

H0HITORING OF RADI0 ACTIVE RELEASES VIA STORit DRAINS Horthern States Power Company recently reported that an unnonitored release of radioactive water occurred on July 30, 1981, at the Monticello plant.

Based on this and similar occurrences at lifilstone, Unit 1 (June 21,1981) and at the-Japanese Tsuruga plant, you asked if there were technical reasons for not continuously nonitoring these paths.

As poinud out in ny nemorandun of July 14, 1981, concerning the Hillstone release, the requirements of NRR are that during nomal reactor operation, including anticipated operational occurrer.ces, all najor and potentially significant paths for release of radioactive naterial should be nonitored (10 CFR 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 64; Regulatory Guide 1.21, osition C.2). Plants are designed and reviewed, and Technical Specifications c

are provided, to assure that during nomal operation and anticipated opera-tional occurrences, all such release paths are nonitored.

' At lionticello, an unreviewed and improper action by a plant engineer resulted in radioactive water being employed in the cement solidification of radioactive resin waste at a newly-installed portable solidification system located in the radwaste shipping building. This building has no floor drains or curbs to pre-vent water from escaping.

The building had not been designed for the type of

- use which was made of it by addition of the solidification systen; the defi-cien y is being corrected by the licensee. The preposal for installation of the systen had been reviewed by plant nanagenent and had called for the use of

" deionized water" f'r mixing with resin and cement so as to provide control of the pH of the mixture; the responsible enginece inproperly and inadvertently used slightly radioactive water from the reactor's condensate stsrage tank.

A rubber hose used to supply the water, secured by means of a hose clanp to the piping of the concrete mixing system, came loose, pemitting an estimated 2,000 gallons of radioactive water to spill onto the concrete floor of the radwaste storage building. The water ran down the sloping floor, under two closed overhead garage-type doors, and into the stom drain sy It is estinated thag 100 gallons of water, c_ontantnated to 4.5 x 10 f ten.

uCi/n1 of I-131 and 1.4 x 10- uCi/n1 of I-133, entered the Mississippi River at the storn ji drain outfall, with the rensinder of the water entering the soil or being trapped in the stom drain ditches. The release concentrations totaled ap-1 [m proxinately 300% of naxinun pemissible concentration (MPC, per 10 CFR 20, 1

Appendix B, Table II, Column 2) at the point of release; dilution and disper-sion in the Missi ssippi River are assumed to have resulted in essentially 1

instantaneous reduction to non-detectable concentrations with essentially zero environmental radiation dose impact. gro9240086 810828 PDR ADC,CK 05000245 S

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i Connissioner Bradford While there are no insurmountable technical reasons why storm drains could not be monitored for radioactive material, there are practical difficulties in the automatic sampling or extraction of material for radioactivity analysis from highly variable stream flow rates that would have to be resolved, and there are practica11 considerations involved in the volumetric neasurement of highly variable water t10ws in stom drain systems, if the total release is to be quantified. Based on the assumption that each nuclear power plant is serviced by a single stom drain system (also called " yard drains") we estimate the initial cost of installation per plant to be approximately 200 to 500 thousand dollars and that annual operation and maintenance costs would be approxinately 20 to 50 thousand dollars.

In light of our general knowledge of past experience with this type of unmoni-tored release from U.S. reactor operations, and the small potential effect on public health which has resulted from such releases, it is our opinion that a blanket requirement for such monitoring is unwarranted from a safety standpoint.

We plan to confirm our current understanding of the magnitude of this type of problem by reviewing LERs for the past five years to detemine the f'. equency, and the scope or magnitude of such ',nadvertant releases.

In a related area, we have an or. going study of portable radwaste solidification systems being con-ducted by a contractor to identify potential problems such as that which led to the Menticello release. We will keep the Commission infomed of any new in-forr.ation feveloped by these studies which changes our view as to the need for monitoring stom drains.

(SigneW William J. Din:h, Willian J. Dircks, Executive Director for Operations

Contact:

P. G. Stoddart Ext. 27682 cc: Chairman Palbdino Comissioner Gilinsky Commissioner Ahearne Commissioner Roberts L. Bickwit, OGC D. Rathbun, OGC S. Chilk, SECY F. Remick, OPE b

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Comissioner Bradford '

j While in theory there are no technical reasons why storm drains could not be monitored for radioactive material, there are practical difficulties in the autonatic sampling or extraction of material for radioactivity' analysis from highly variable strean flow rates that would have to be resolved, and there are major practical considerations involved in the volumetHe measurement of highly variable water flows in stom drain systems if the total release is to

'be quantified. He anticipate that the cost of installation and operation of nonitoring systems would be substantial; based on the assumption that each nuclear power plant is serviced by a single storddrain system (also called

" yard drains") we estinate tne initial cost of i'nsta11ation per plant to be on the order of 200 to 500 thousand do7~,rs and,t6at annual operation imd main-ttenance costs would bc on the order f 20 0 50 thousand dollars.

In light of past experience with this ty e of unnonitored release frTt U.S.

reactor operations, and the very small/ potential ef fect on public health which has resulted from such releases, it J5 our opinion that a blanket requirement

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years to Jetermine the frequenc/urther by reviewing LERs for the par.t five We plan to evaluate the subject 4, and the scope or nagnitude of such inad-y vertant releases.

In a relaf d area, we have an ongoing study of portable radwaste solidification sys ens being conducted by a contractor to identify potential problems such a - that which led to the tionticello release. We will keep the Comission info ed of any new infomation developed by these studies which changes our view s to the need for monitoring storn drains.

William J. Dircks, Executive Director for Operations

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